With Carpex 2008 fast approaching, I decided to look at their website to see who will be there this year.
I know that some exhibitors and visitors alike were a bit disappointed with the last Carpex, particularly with geography and the higher costs involved with a London based show, so hopefully the move to a more cost effective central loction should go a long way to addressing those concerns. The Ricoh Stadium is clearly visible from the M6 J3 and is within walking distance of the motorway, so ease of access should not be an issue. Plus, I would expect that costs for everyone should be lower than in the South east.
It will be interesting to see the new set up with Ashby's now selling truckmounts, and Alltec have a new portable to launch at the show too. And looking at the exhibitors list, it would appear that many of our industry's market leaders will be represented, with quite a few of the "lower profile" companies also present. I think all areas of our industry will be covered.
It's good to see that Ruth Travis, the President of IICRC, will be present not only to perform the opening ceremony, but also to present a seminar on Rug Cleaning. As well as being a whizz at colour repair, Ruth is an IICRC Instructor and also runs her own successful carpet cleaning business in the US. It's nice to think that the IICRC rates Carpex 2008 highly enough to send their President over.
So, I'll be there both days, and will be joined by The Gorgeous One for the Gala Dinner on the Thursday Night (already bought our tickets). So who else is going?
Safe and happy showtime
Ken